Channel Cats?

[Webguy]

JigAwhopper and myself caught three between us between 7 and 9 lbs. on Sunday. Each one on a different jigging lure out in deep water (40-50ft). Anyone else catch any ice fishing or does anyone target them specifically through the ice? Here's a couple pics of the one I got.

Fun to catch on light tackle!

[Cooley]

Wow, Thats great !    What size jiggs were you guys using? Did you tip them with anything?
Going out this saturday for some cats.  (First time)

[Webguy]

Wow, Thats great !    What size jiggs were you guys using? Did you tip them with anything?
Going out this saturday for some cats.  (First time)

That one was on a little orange tear-drop jig with a Gulp maggot, one was on a swedish pimple type lure with real maggots, and I'm not sure on the other one.

[Webguy]

When I posted this I didn't realize there was a category for catfish. I was just reading it and saw a few of you PA guys posted there, you guys got an pointers?

That was my first channel cat throught the ice and its got me thinking about them for a contest next Sunday that pays out for the biggest 3 of each group: pickerel, perch, and all other species (excluding muskie). Another fat cat could pay for an Aqua-Vu. 

[jigbounce]

About every other time I go out I will end up catching a decent catfish.  It seems they really like maggots packed on a horizontal jig close to the bottom.  The last couple times I hooked up with fish to big to to do anything with, they just strip drag and I can't even budge em until they take me into a snag or snap me off  I have often thought about targeting these cats specifically with some stronger gear.

[Webguy]

About every other time I go out I will end up catching a decent catfish.  It seems they really like maggots packed on a horizontal jig close to the bottom.  The last couple times I hooked up with fish to big to to do anything with, they just strip drag and I can't even budge em until they take me into a snag or snap me off  I have often thought about targeting these cats specifically with some stronger gear.

Sound like a pretty cool heartbreak!
Time to break out the muskie gear!

[missfishylicious]

on oneida lake in central ny.in the late fall all you have to do is drop a dead shad on the bottum and hang on some nights there so plentiful your arm get sore.

[Webguy]

My kind of exercise MissFishy!

I just may have to drop the sacrificial shiner to the bottom next time, it works with smelt for lakers!

[Pasquatch]

Beautiful Fish!
In the winter, cats pile up on the bottom in the lake's deepest holes. Catch one, and you are guaranteed to catch more....

[TroutFishingBear]

If the ice is safe in certian lakes here in co like it was last year, we can go out and slay em. Dead anchovies on tipups near the bottom work well in the deepest parts of lakes. I have not caught one this year (unsafe ice in catfish lake), but I did hook one in shallower water at crawford on a 1/16 oz frostee jig spoon. The thing got loose, I hooked it and it put my rod into a horshshoe bend and screamed 20 yards of drag in mere seconds. What a surprise when jigging for perch 8)
Last year we could get em on jigging raps too.

[JigAwhopper]

I got one jigging way up in the water column with the spoon.  The fish hit 30 feet down over 52 fow  .  I guess some don't hug the bottom much after all!         J